Man charged following stop and search in Hitchin

A man has been charged with two offences following a stop and search in Hitchin.

Abdul Kasim, aged 22, of Icknield Way in Letchworth Garden City, was stopped in Windmill Hill on Thursday (August 11) by plain-clothed officers from Operation Scorpion who were carrying out proactive patrols.

Operation Scorpion are a specialist unit of officers who tackle acquisitive crime such as drug dealing, burglaries and robberies.

A search for cannabis was carried out and this resulted in not only the drug being found, but a 30cm long bread knife too.

Kasim was arrested and subsequently charged with possession of a knife and cannabis. He will appear at Stevenage Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 31 August.

Detective Inspector Ben Smith, from the North Herts Local Crime Unit, said: "I hope this news brings reassurance to the community that we are constantly listening to your views.

"This proactive patrol was carried out in an area where residents have reported concerns around drugs and I urge you to carry on reporting any suspicions. Remember, if you want to report anonymously you can do so through the charity Crimestoppers.

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"We will continue to use all the resources and tactics we have, such as stop and search and plain clothes patrols, to help get drugs and knives off the streets."

You can report information online at herts.police.uk/report, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or call the non-emergency number 101. If you see or suspect that a crime is in progress, call 999 straight away.